CyberAngels
CyberAngels Newsletter
Choosing Parental Controls
March, 2008

What are Parental Controls?


Father and child on computerIn this issue we deal with Parental Controls, in the context of controls of online Internet usage by children. While on-line computer exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, expanding their horizons and exposing them to science, technology, different cultures and ways of life, it is also fraught with many dangers that parents need to be aware of. Parental Controls generally refers to the tools available to parents to promote safe Internet usage amongst their children and reduce the risk of undesirable behaviors and consequences.
In This Issue
What are the dangers?
What tools are available?
What else can parents do?
When to worry

What are the dangers?

By far, the danger that has the most damaging consequence to children is the risk of being sexually victimized by online predators. There are individuals who attempt to sexually exploit children through the use of on-line services and the Internet. Many of these individuals, start with seemingly harmless online chats, but over a period of time engage in sexually explicit online conversations with children, collect and trade child-pornographic images, and seek face-to-face meetings potentially leading to direct victimization.

Online sexual offenders are criminals and there are laws to deal with this crime. However, there is another form of online activity that is not necessarily criminal, but whose consequences can be serious. This is cyber bullying, which can cause self-esteem issues, leading at times to tragic results.

A third danger is identity theft. Adults are typically more frequent targets of identity theft due to their purchasing power, but some identity thieves do manage to obtain sensitive information from children regarding their parents.

A fourth class of danger is probably the one that is most common but can be overlooked. This is the amount of time that children spend online which often tends to detract from the time spent on school work and other activities such as sports, family time and sleep which are necessary for their well being. In some extreme cases surfing the web may become an addiction and impact the child's social skills as well.

What tools are available?

A number of software products have been developed to aid in parental control of children's online activity. Some of them are available free of charge with the web browser or from Internet service providers and in public domains, while others come at license costs affordable to most computer users. Here are some of the capabilities common to parental control software:

 Ø      Managing and limiting online usage time: Typical examples of functionality provided by the software in this category are:

o       Limit time spent by activity type (such as Internet surfing, online chats, etc

o       Automatically log off users (children) after a scheduled time of day or scheduled elapsed time

Ø      Monitor online activity. Capabilities here allow you to:

o       View web sites that your children visit

o       View your child's IM (instant messaging) log or text of online chats

o       Have reports of activity mailed on scheduled basis, with highlights of exceptional or unusual activity

o       Receive alerts when specific inappropriate words or phrases are used in online chats

Ø      Prevent access to specific web sites

o       Block access to web sites with content inappropriate for your children

o       Receive e-mail alerts when your child attempts to access these web sites

 

For more information on capabilities of software for Parental Controls, visit:

http://www.kidswatch.com/

http://www.internetsafety.com/safe-eyes/

Note: The products above have been mentioned only to illustrate the  capabilities of parental control software. It should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by CyberAngels. There are many software vendors in the market and you should research before determining what is appropriate for your family.

What else can parents do?

While installing Parental Controls software is a highly desirable step, it is clearly inadequate to insure the online safety of your children. Online predators find ways to bypass parental controls, and in many cases, children themselves do. Here are a few practices that can help you further reduce the online dangers for your children:

  • Teach your child the responsible use of the resources on-line. Communicate, and talk to your child about sexual victimization and other potential on-line dangers.
  • Spend time with your children on-line. Have them teach you about their favorite on-line destinations.
  • Keep the computer in a common room in the house, not in your child's bedroom. It is much more difficult for a computer-sex offender to communicate with a child when the computer screen is visible to a parent or another adult in the household.
  • Always maintain access to your child's on-line account and randomly check his/her e-mail.  Be up front with your child about your access and reasons why.
  • Find out what computer safeguards are utilized by your child's school, the public library, and at the homes of your child's friends. These are all places, outside your normal supervision, where your child could encounter an on-line predator.
  • Instruct your children:
    • to never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met on- line;
    • to never upload (post) pictures of themselves onto the Internet or on-line service to people they do not personally know;
    • to never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, or telephone number;
    • to never download pictures from an unknown source, as there is a good chance there could be sexually explicit images;
    • to never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing
 
When to Worry

You should immediately contact your local or state law enforcement agency, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children if:

  • Your child or anyone in the household has received child pornography or
  • Your child has been sexually solicited by someone who knows that your child is under 18 years of age or
  • Your child has received sexually explicit images from someone that knows your child is under the age of 18.

About CyberAngels
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As part of its mission of "keeping it safe" The Guardian Angels moved beyond the streets and
responded to citizens' calls for protection from online threats with the launch of
CyberAngels in 1995. The volunteer-based CyberAngels is one of the oldest and most
respected online safety education programs in the world. Our organization
offers articles, instruction, tips and resources via our website to promote safe Internet use
by children and families, guide parents, and assist victims of cyber crimes.
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